O’Neills All County Hurling League Division Three

St. Paul’s 1-17-2-12 Lámh Dhearg

By Kevin Herron at Rossa Park

St. Paul’s edged the Divison Three ACHL derby with Lámh Dhearg and in the process edged away from the bottom three after a 1-17-2-12 win this afternoon.

Played in the shadow of their Shaws Road home in neighbouring Rossa Park – the hoops looked to be on track for two crucial league points after a goal from Kevin Gamble helped them to a 1-14-0-11 lead with time fast running out.

However the returning Domhnall Nugent flicked to the net to set-up a grandstand finish – St. Paul’s looked to have again secured the spoils, but the defiant Lámhs hit the net again through Mark Finnegan though a Gerard Carbery free deep into injury-time was the last action as St. Paul’s held out for the win.

Just two-points separated the sides prior to the relegation four-pointer at the bottom and it was Lámh Dhearg who began on the front foot, the returning Domhnall Nugent made an immediate impact as he shot over the bar and then doubled the lead with an accurate shot that sailed between the posts.

Conleth McVeigh struck back for St. Paul’s but the hosts defence were struggling with Nugent early on and the big full-forward restored his sides two-point lead and made it 0-01-0-03.

An excellent point from Ruaidhri O’Muiri was followed by a leveller from Andy McMorrow as St. Paul’s began to gain the upper hand.

McMorrow the edged his side ahead and just past the midway point in the opening half Gerard Carbery split the posts to make it four-points on the trot for the Shaws Road men and make it 0-05-0-03 on the score board.

St. Paul’s were very the side in the ascendancy and a further three points in quick succession had them six in front with little under ten minutes remaining of the half – Conleth McVeigh struck for the second time in the half before Antrim’s Stephen Rooney produced a magnificent score and Carbery made it seven on the spin.

Carbery hit his third of the half from a converted free to give his side a 0-09-0-03 lead – the Lámhs were in need of a score to try and stem the tide and they were rewarded as Paddy Mervyn claimed Paddy Joe Herron’s puck out and won a free, Mark Finnegan watched in frustration as his effort drifted short but Mervyn won possession and shot over the bar.

Gerard Carbery converted a further free to move his side six ahead once more and Paddy Mervyn again cut the gap with a point – it could have been so much better however as Sean Paul Gibson charged down the right hand channel and almost picked out Mark Finnegan inside the small square, the St. Paul’s defence frantically tried to usher the ball out of the imminent danger and Leon McVeigh breathed a huge sigh of relief as Mervyn shot over the bar rather than under it.

Declan Chapman and Domhnall Nugent traded scores in injury-time but it was St. Paul’s who were in control at the break, 0-11-0-06 to the good.

Lámh Dhearg began cut the deficit from the restart thanks to Domhnall Nugent’s fifth point of the afternoon though Declan Chapman responded – Mark Finnegan then landed a free from range to reduce arrears to four for the second time in the half but eight minutes into the second period St. Paul’s dealt the Hannahstown side a hammer blow.

Kevin Gamble picked up possession in the small square and fired low past Paddy Joe Herron in the Lámh Dhearg goal to give his side a 1-12-0-08 lead. Gamble almost scrambled home his second inside the opening ten minutes of the half, but Paddy Joe Herron emerged from a congested goal mouth and fired the ball into touch and out of harm’s way.

St. Paul’s would increase their lead through Carbery’s third converted free of the afternoon though three successfully converted frees from Mark Finnegan kept Lámh Dhearg within touching distance at, 1-13-0-11.

Carbery’s accuracy from the placed ball paid dividends again as St. Paul’s went six ahead with little under ten remaining.

Lámh Dhearg were in urgent need of a goal and with little over five minutes remaining it was game on – Ronan Fegan’s persistence paid off as he scooped up possession and burst forward before floating the ball into the danger area where Domhnall Nugent was lurking and Nugent flicked the ball past the oncoming Leon McVeigh and into the net to make it 1-14-1-11 and set-up a grandstand finish.

Sensing the spoils were there for the taking Lámh Dhearg upped the ante but Nugent, Conor McConville and Ryan Diamond all watched on as their efforts drifted wide of the target.

Instead Andy McMorrow and a converted Carbery free gave St. Paul’s breathing space again and a five-point lead two-minutes into injury-time.

Mark Finnegan had the opportunity to float the ball into a crowded area from a free shortly afterwards but got too much elevation onto it and instead hit a point.

Sean Paul Gibson then turned over the resulting puck out and Lámh Dhearg won a second free which surely had to drop into the danger zone – but ice cool in his striking Mark Finnegan’s effort bounced into the net and suddenly Lámh Dhearg trailed by the minimum with just enough time to salvage something, 1-16-2-12.

However Finnegan was adjudged to have given away a free from Leon McVeigh’s puck out and the final action of the game saw Gerard Carbery convert the resulting free as St. Paul’s were able to breathe a huge sigh of relief and move four-points clear of Lámh Dhearg at the basement.

St. Paul’s: L McVeigh, J Keatings, C Hetherington, S Bradley, F Sewell, S Rooney (0-01), C Murray, C O’Carroll, R O’Muiri (0-01), C McVeigh (0-02), K Gamble (1-00), A McMorrow (0-03), D Chapman (0-02), G Carbery (0-08, 0-06f), D McGreevy.

Lámh Dhearg: PJ Herron, R Fegan, M Lynch, M McGuigan, SP Gibson, A McGuigan, E Herron, R Diamond, M Finnegan (1-06f), P Mervyn (0-02), M McGarry, C McConville, J Boyd, D Nugent (1-04), J Trainor. Subs: G Smyth for M McGarry (31 mins), C Herron for A McGuigan (31 mins), D Fox for J Trainor (41 mins).

Referee: Fintan McCotter (Sarsfields)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a sluggish first twenty minutes in the sweltering heat at Pearce Park in Armagh Carey bounced back with a great second half display to claim two valuable points in their division 3 pursuit. Despite opening the scoring through a Martin Hunter point Carey fell behind and after two Conleth Laverty pointed frees and another from play from Tony Duffy left them two in arrears after ten minutes and only for some great defending by Eoin Hill and Sean McBride matters could have much worse.

Duffy again was on the score sheet for the home side before John McBride sent over a long range free for the Antrim men in the 14th minute. Another Lavery free and a point from their live-wire corner-forward Jordan Murtagh left a four point margin, but the visitors were now begining to get the better of the exchanges and points from Fiahra McVeigh and Dan Martin brought Carey back into the game. A further point from a Lavery free and another couple from Murtagh left the Cuchullians on a five point lead with half time approaching, but with Nat Hunter and John McBride now asserting themselves around midfield Carey’s Caolan McCaughan went on one of his customary runs and fired the ball past Matt Rafferty in the home goal to leave the half time score 0.9 to 1.4.

The Armagh men opened the second half scoring with a Ciaran Duffy point, Caolan McCaughan replied for the Faughs with a similar score and a Paddy Gillan point in the fortieth left only one between the sides. With Carey now winning  most of the battles it was probably no surprise when substitute Daniel McBbride found the Armagh net in the forty-fifth minute, two more pointed frees from their main marksman Conleth  Lavery left the sides level again with seven minutes left to play, but in the fifty-fifth minute Daniel McBride was on hand again  to finish a dropping ball past Rafferty in the Armagh goal, further points from McCaughan and Martin Hunter, left the north Antrim men with a four point cushion and a last minute Duffy point for the home side was the last action of a good game played in difficult conditions with the heat and a difficult pitch.